For Patterson Wells, disaster is the norm. Working alongside dangerous, desperate, itinerant men as a tree clearer in disaster zones, he's still dealing with the loss of his young son. Writing letters to the boy offers some solace. The bottle gives more.
Upon a return trip to Colorado, Patterson stops to go fishing with an old acquaintance, only to find him in a meth-induced delirium and keeping a woman tied up in the bathtub. In the ensuing chain of events, which will test not only his future but his past, Patterson tries to do the right thing. Still, in the lives of those he knows, violence and justice have made of each other strange, intoxicating bedfellows.
— Cry Father by Benjamin Whitmer
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Omnimystery News is pleased to present a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during April 2016 and priced $4.99 or less …
Three brothers, Jackson, Mitch, and Garret Indigo are summoned back home to tiny Indigo Key by their mother. Their sister has gone missing along with her husband and two kids. But the mystery only deepens when they learn a visitor to the town has also disappeared. Are the two cases related? And, if so, what are the people in their hometown hiding?
— Indigo Heat by Vickie McKeehan
See also the highly reviewed first mystery in this series, Indigo Fire, for $4.99 on Kindle.
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Four days later, Louise Rick still had no answers.
The body of an unidentified woman was discovered in a local forest. A large, unique scar on one side of her face should have made the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. As the new commander of the Missing Persons Department, Louise risks involving the media by releasing a photo of the victim, hoping to find someone who knew her.
Louise's gamble pays off: an older woman phones to say that she recognizes the woman as Lisemette, a child she once cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette, like the other children in the institution, was abandoned by her family and branded a "forgotten girl." But Louise soon discovers something more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates more than thirty years ago.
Aided by her friend journalist Camilla Lind, Louise finds that the investigation takes a surprising and unsettling turn when it brings her closer to her childhood home. And as she uncovers more crimes that were committed — and hidden — in the forest, she is forced to confront a terrible link to her own past that has been carefully concealed.
— The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel
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When Lucky Jamieson opens up By the Spoonful to host an event with a famous author, she's not expecting a bunch of nuts to descend on her small-town soup shop. But the author's exasperating entourage — from a prickly publicist to a snippy son and his tipsy wife — give fresh meaning to the phrase, too many cooks spoil the broth.
The evening is more than spoiled, however, when it ends with a homicide. When the manner of the murder — as well as another recent unsolved crime — echoes the author's fiction, Police Chief Nate Edgerton realizes he has a copycat killer on his hands. And Lucky hopes that one of her regular customers who has mysteriously gone missing isn't involved. Once again, the soup shop owner will need to stir up some clues to find her friend and catch a cunning killer — before things really take a tureen for the worse …
Piper Oliver knows she can't trust him. They warned her that the tall, dark, and sexy black-ops soldier Jory Dean would try to win her over with his steel-gray eyes and deadly charm, but she won't be conned by this man they call a traitor. All she has to do is figure out the science necessary to save his life, and she's done. Something isn't adding up, though, and she won't rest until she uncovers the truth-even if it's buried in his deep, dangerous kiss.
Jory will do anything to reunite with and save his brothers-even kidnap the gorgeous woman who's working to deactivate the deadly chip in their spines. But the forces determined to destroy his family won't let them go so easily. Keeping Piper alive is more than he bargained for-and so is his burning desire for her. But with every second bringing him closer to certain death, can he afford to lose himself in her hot and willing embrace?
— Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti
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Jock Algren arrives on Longboat Key in a state of depression and hopelessness. His most recent mission for his secretive U.S. government intelligence agency has been disastrous and his friends Matt Royal and J. D. Duncan aren't sure they'll be able to pull him out of his despair — then the bad guys show up and danger erupts on all fronts.
Longboat Key Detective J. D. Duncan is investigating a cold case when the brother of the victim shows up on the island and complicates the investigation. A grizzled sailor — described by Matt as "the meanest man I'd ever known" — brings his boat into a local marina and bodies begin to accumulate. A Middle East jihadist intent on revenge locks on to Jock's clandestine past, bringing a deadly chase to the last outpost in the continental U.S. — Key West. Three prongs of evil descend, clashing violently. How could all this malice be interconnected?
Ella Mae LeFaye's delicious pies are still drawing long lines — as well as the attention of Beatrice Burbank, president of the Camellia Club, a philanthropic organization comprised of high-society Southern ladies from the charming and affluent town of Sweet Briar, Georgia. To ensure the success of their centennial dessert cookbook, Bea hires Ella Mae to teach the tasty tricks of her trade to the club's members at their annual retreat. Eager to work on new recipes for customers with food allergies and dietary restrictions, Ella Mae readily agrees.
But when Ella Mae finds Bea's body floating in Lake Havenwood, she wonders what she's gotten herself mixed up in. Someone certainly wanted Bea to eat humble pie, and the retreat offers no shortage of unsavory characters, including Ella Mae's longtime nemesis, Loralyn Gaynor. Ella Mae definitely doesn't need magic to tell her she must find the killer before someone else gets panned.
When the Secretary of State is found murdered in the Lincoln bedroom, Ron Fairbanks, special counsel to the president and secret suitor of presidential daughter Lynne, is appointed to head the investigation.
The investigation leads Fairbanks headlong into the secrets of not only the Secretary of State, but the President, the First Lady, and his beloved Lynne. When the young attorney realizes the position he's in, torn between his job, his loyalty, his love, and uncovering the truth, he must make gut-wrenching choices, which lead to a surprise that no one could have foreseen.
— Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman
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Omnimystery News is pleased to present a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during April 2016 and priced $4.99 or less …
Dr. Joe Scarfili runs. He's a runner. It's how he copes with emotional pain.
When his wife was murdered, he ran from violent Detroit to insular Grosse Pointe. He ran from his smothering, caring family to long hours in the operating room. But when he falls for Gianna, another run could cost him everything.
Nurse and entrepreneur Gianna Donnatelli is on the verge of making her dreams come true. Her company is poised to go public with a product guaranteed to revolutionize medical care and at the same time help revitalize Detroit, only she's attacked, stalked, and flattened by an explosion. Then the danger escalates.
With Gianna's life at stake, Joe can't run. Despite the fact that he has no police or tech experience … Despite the fact that Gianna's penchant for aiding Detroit's underprivileged is the same kind of altruism that got his wife killed … Despite the fact that Gianna pushes all his insecurity buttons … This time, Joe will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
And Gianna protects those she loves just as fiercely. Together they'll fight to save each other and their love … Or die trying.
— Silent Sentry by Theresa Rizzo
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We are delighted to welcome author Dan Newman to Omnimystery News today.
Dan's new suspense thriller is The Clearing (Diversion Books; April 2016 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we are pleased to introduce you to it with an excerpt.
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THE MAN WITH THE BLUE T-SHIRT and sunglasses was standing at the top of the pathway, newspaper held loosely at his side, watching Nate. The sight fully stopped Nate, and the two men stared at each other until at last the man in the sunglasses casually dropped the newspaper, turned, and walked out of view. A car door slammed, an engine revved, and somewhere around the corner a vehicle moved off down the street. Finally Nate moved. He trotted up to the boulevard, and saw that whatever car had been there was now gone, as was the man in the sunglasses. By his feet, the newspaper fluttered on the ground. Despite the breeze it remained anchored to its spot on the carefully mown and perfectly green grass. It had been weighed down by a black chicken. It was clearly dead, and its feet were bound tightly with course string in coils like a hangman's noose. Its feathers seemed slick and oily, and as Nate stooped to look closer he could tell it was blood. He nudged the carcass with an outstretched foot, rolled it over on one side and then kneeled down beside it. The dead bird had apparently been gutted, and something had been stuffed into the cavity. It looked like a small bottle wrapped in leaves and shoots of some kind, and from what he could see there appeared to be more blood inside the small vial. With his eyes locked on the bird, Nate stood and became suddenly aware that he was grimacing unabashedly at the thing on the ground. He looked around and realized he was drawing curious glances, so he dropped his head and walked quickly to the car. Whatever this was, whatever it meant, whatever it was somehow supposed to convey, Nate was convinced of one thing without reservation: the message was for him. It was as if a door in a long-sealed and airless room had been forced open — and Nate knew without question where that door could be found. It was part of an old and decaying house on the far side of the island, where its rusting tin roof and dark archways were slowly being suffocated by a tangle of vines and wild thickets. He couldn't leave the island without doing what he'd come to do, even if it killed him. The thought calmed him some and as he focused on it, he realized that this momentary weakness was just a small matter of a failure to remember. He cast his mind back, immersed himself in the memory, in the horror of his past. Moments later, the courage — or at least a sense of grim determination — came flooding back. He was here for a reason, and with that focus once more set, Nate was able to pull himself together and get moving. Back in Smiley's car, he reached over the seat to his hastily packed case and unzipped it. It felt rigid and latently powerful in his hand, as it always had, even through the folds of the worn brown paper bag. And with that sensation came others — a swell of emotions so complex that Nate had to pull his hand from the bag to calm himself. He took an even, steady breath. He was here to fix it all. He would make it right. Nate started the car and looked in the rear-view mirror. Across the street, a police Jeep sat in the deep shade of a broad almond tree. He couldn't see for sure, but it looked like there was someone in it, and if he let himself, he could quickly be convinced they were watching him, too. Nate shook his head, refused to be drawn into the conspiracy. His path was clear. He would drive away, find a place to spend the night, and in the morning he would make his way back into the past, back to Ti Fenwe Estate, back to the hollow in the forest where his life had been so clearly and regrettably defined.
— ♦ —
Photo provided courtesy of Dan Newman
Dan Newman is an Englishman by birth, a Canadian by immigration, and amalgam of several wonderful places in Southern Africa by virtue of the time he spent there growing up. He's a citizen of the beach thanks to his formative years spent in the Caribbean, and is a self-described Australian enviator, which means he envies all that someone else has, thanks to the time he spent there at Grad school, and the hours and days he spent trying desperately to look like he knew what he was doing on a surfboard.
For more information about the author, please visit his website at DanNewmanBooks.com or find him on Twitter.
— ♦ —
The Clearing by Dan Newman
A Novel of Suspense
Publisher: Diversion Books
Some moments linger forever. Some curses can't be broken. Some crimes refuse to stay buried …
A young man returns to St. Lucia, where he grew up, and where his guilt for the part he played in a murder continues to haunt.
Now, thirty years later, Nate responds to his father's suicide with a trip back to St. Lucia, the land where he was raised as an outsider, tolerated but not accepted. As a boy he ventured out to the plantation of Ti Fenwe with three others — weak-willed Pip, and cousins Richard and Tristan. Surrounded on all sides by dense jungle, the boys explore, their only rule to be back in the house before nightfall. Because at Ti Fenwe, something ancient stalks the jungle, its reputation more horrifying than any of the boys can comprehend.
But it's a very real enemy who changes the boys forever, and snuffs out a life. Decades later, Nate comes back to finally gain a measure of peace over his role in the killing, and to uncover the deadly secrets of St. Lucia once and for all.
We are delighted to welcome author Joe Hart to Omnimystery News today.
Joe's "Dominion Trilogy" opens with The Last Girl (Thomas & Mercer; March 2016 trade paperback, audiobook and ebook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to spend some time with him talking about his new book.
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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to the lead characters of the Dominion Trilogy.
Photo provided courtesy of Joe Hart
Joe Hart: My protagonist is Zoey, a young woman on the brink of turning 21 who's been held at an advance research compound all her life. She's never been given her last name, is accompanied almost everywhere by an assigned cleric to watch over her, and she and the other six women have strict rules and schedules to abide by within the compound. Zoey is smart, capable, and strong willed. Her instincts along with a fierce will to survive are her only weapons against the individuals keeping her prisoner. Other important characters range from Meeka, Zoey's best friend and fiery cohort, to Lily, a mentally and physically challenged girl with a gentle heart, and Lee, Zoey's love interest and her cleric's son.
OMN: Tell us something about The Last Girl that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.
JH: One thing that isn't mentioned is the "safe zone" that the National Obstetric Alliance has told the women about. It is a safe haven established for them and their parents after their induction at age 21. The problem being no one's ever returned from the safe zone …
OMN: Your previous novels have been stand-alones. Why write a trilogy?
JH: Basically there was this enormous story I wanted to tell. Zoey came to me almost fully formed. Her decisions and struggle fit perfectly with where the trilogy was going to take her, and her character arc is one that lent itself to all three books. I think it's definitely a combination of factors when deciding on a series character but most comes from how they will evolve along with the plot.
OMN: Suppose Zoey were to interview you. What would her first question be?
JH: Zoey's first question would be, "Do you think women should be treated as equals and be able to make decisions for themselves?" which of course I would answer "Absolutely."
OMN: Into what genre or genres would you place your books?
JH: My work ranges from thrillers and suspense novels to dark fantasy and horror. I don't really like to pigeonhole myself into one certain genre or another, I truly enjoy writing in them all. I think there's an advantage and disadvantage to labeling one's work. One advantage is that people who read in a certain genre will be more likely to pick up your book if you've identified yourself as such or your books get referenced by a well known author in the genre. Disadvantages would be if you ever wanted to step out of that arena, you'd have a harder time gaining a new readership, especially if your prior readers didn't follow you over to the new genre. Honestly, I think it's best to write whatever you're truly passionate about and readers will eventually find you.
OMN: Describe your writing process for us. And where do you most often find yourself writing?
JH: My writing process is fairly straightforward. When an idea hits me or a character starts whispering in my ear I'll let the whole thing stew in the back of my mind for several weeks. Then I'll sit down and do a loose outline of what the plot and character arcs will look like. After that I start writing. I like leaving some wiggle room for improvising, some of the best plot twists and characters I've written have come from leaving some space in the narrative. My writing environment is an office I built in the back of my garage. It's very quiet and peaceful when compared with the chaos that's going on in the house at times.
OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a book, where would you go?
JH: I would love to go to Japan and visit Aokigahara (the suicide forest). The place has always intrigued me as it's one of the three most popular places for people to commit suicide in the world and number one in Japan. I have an idea for a thriller set there with possibly a supernatural twist to it that's been in the back of my mind for some time. Also Japanese culture itself is very interesting to me, and it doesn't hurt that I love Japanese whiskey and sushi as well.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young?
JH: I read mostly horror when I was younger, especially King and Koontz. But I also really enjoyed Shakespeare and Robert Frost who I was introduced to by my high school English teacher.
OMN: Have any specific authors influenced how and what you write today?
JH: I give almost all credit to Stephen King for my becoming a writer. His books absolutely blew my mind and created such a passion for storytelling it's never gone away. Horror in general is what I initially cut my teeth on when I began writing, but as I branched out more and more in my reading I eventually wanted to try my hand at thrillers and suspense, which wasn't a huge leap from the more traditional horror realm.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your books?
JH: I love to work out and be active. If I don't do something physical everyday it throws me off. I also really enjoy cooking and have been challenging myself to become better at that over the last few years. Like anything in a writer's life, it all becomes material for a story at some point or another, so yes, from time to time one of my characters will have a quick workout scene or they'll cook an amazing meal.
OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you say to aspiring writers?
JH: The best advice I've ever gotten came from Blake Crouch who told me, no more small ideas. That's really helped me see the large picture and implications of a story when I'm developing it. The harshest criticism came from my wife when she told me one of my main characters wasn't very likeable. It made me stop and reevaluate how I was writing them and realized my character was angry and irritable because I was angry and irritable during that period of creating them. I think the same lesson can be learned from both the good advice and criticism: keep your mind wide open. Sometimes writers can get so wrapped up in a story or character that they stop seeing the forest for the trees or let their own emotions bleed into the book too much or in the wrong way. Keeping a wide vantage point with the story while at the same time welcoming new ideas or criticism is a great way to see roadblocks before they become a problem. Advice I'd give aspiring authors is listen to constructive criticism, read nonfiction alongside great fiction, and never quit trying to make your craft better.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any subject.
JH: I think instead of a Top 5 in one category I'll do my favorite in each. My favorite book is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. My favorite author is still Mr. King. My favorite film would probably have to be Hot Fuzz (that movie has nearly the perfect blend of humor, suspense, and over-the-top thrills). My top place to visit would have to be Japan like I mentioned earlier. And my favorite food is definitely sushi.
OMN: What's next for you?
JH: Next for me is the release of the second book in my thriller series, The Night Is Deep, in June followed by the second book in the Dominion trilogy, The Final Trade, later this fall.
— ♦ —
Joe Hart was born and raised in northern Minnesota, where he still resides today. He's been writing horror and thriller fiction since he was nine years old. He is the author of five novels and numerous short stories. When he's not writing, Joe enjoys reading, working out, watching movies with his family, and spending time outdoors.
A mysterious worldwide epidemic reduces the birthrate of female infants from 50 percent to less than 1 percent. Medical science and governments around the world scramble in an effort to solve the problem, but twenty-five years later there is no cure, and an entire generation grows up with a population of fewer than a thousand women.
Zoey and some of the surviving young women are housed in a scientific research compound dedicated to determining the cause. For two decades, she's been isolated from her family, treated as a test subject, and locked away — told only that the virus has wiped out the rest of the world's population.
Captivity is the only life Zoey has ever known, and escaping her heavily armed captors is no easy task, but she's determined to leave before she is subjected to the next round of tests … a program that no other woman has ever returned from. Even if she's successful, Zoey has no idea what she'll encounter in the strange new world beyond the facility's walls. Winning her freedom will take brutality she never imagined she possessed, as well as all her strength and cunning — but Zoey is ready for war.
Just before Christmas, the body of a sixteen-year-old girl is found along the train tracks on the outskirts of a small town. As Detective Lucy Black investigates the teenager's tragic last hours in search of clues to her death, she realizes that some of the victim's friends may have been her most dangerous enemies — and that whoever killed her is ready to kill again.
Haunted by the memory of a case gone wrong, and taunted by a killer on the loose, Lucy finds herself pitted against a lethal opponent hiding in plain sight.
Natalie Greco loves being a teacher, even though she can't keep her students from cruising sex.com during class. She loves her family, too, but her boyfriend fits in better with the football-crazy Grecos than she does. Then a colleague, handsome Angus Holt, talks Nat into teaching a class at a local prison, and her world turns upside down.
A violent prison riot breaks out, and Nat rushes to save the life of a mortally wounded guard whose last words are: "Tell my wife it's under the floor." Nat delivers the cryptic message, but before she knows it, she's suspected of murder and hiding from cops and killers alike. She is forced on the run to solve the riddle of the dead man's last words and to save her own life — and find real love.
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For a summary of all of today's titles, plus any that may have been added since this post was created, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.
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Darren's had it easy his whole life. Finishing Harvard at eighteen, a lucrative job on Wall Street at twenty-one — all things are possible when you can cheat by stepping outside time. Thanks to his ability, he's a know-it-all, but what he doesn't know is how he's able to do what he does.
That is, until he meets Mira and discovers her dangerous, hidden world.
The Time Stopper (A Mind Dimensions Story Prequel)
Mira can stop time, but she can't change anything. After her parents are murdered, she'll do anything to get revenge — even take on the Russian mob.
The Thought Pushers (Mind Dimensions Book 2)
Darren's life turned upside down when he met Mira. Now, as he races to uncover his own identity, he confronts new enemies — and realizes his unique powers might extend further than he ever imagined …
— Mind Dimensions by Dima Zales
A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.
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